


Like Lightening

by Blondjjong



Category: EXO (Band), SHINee
Genre: Agender Character, Alternate Universe - Small Town, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-05
Updated: 2018-08-05
Packaged: 2019-06-22 06:20:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,239
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15575661
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blondjjong/pseuds/Blondjjong
Summary: Taemin is nothing but enticing and Jongin is a shade beyond hopeless.





	Like Lightening

**Author's Note:**

> This was def inspired by Nicki Minaj’s Superbass MV and is 100% a product of my thirst for agender bubble-gum pinup Taemin,,,,,

Their name is Taemin.

Jongin knows this because he’d asked Minho a good two weeks ago. In all honesty he’d already known this, had for a long time, they’d gone to the same small town grade school, but it’d certainly seemed like the polite thing to do at the time. Minho worked part-time at the little pizza joint two doors down from the corner store where Jongin held his own full time job. It was one of two fast food businesses in their small town and Jongin couldn’t for the life of him be bothered to walk the twenty minutes across town to the sub shop next to the liquor store. Jongin enjoyed Minho’s company well enough, his smile was warm, and his laugh a bit contagious, making it all too natural to feel at ease around him. Plus he’d slip Jongin an extra slice when he came round on his break, so really, Jongin had no complaints.  
  
Minho was part of the crowd that Taemin hung around with since their final year of grade school. There weren’t many places to spend your time after five pm in a town with one main strip and more old folks homes than schools, so the skateboard park had become the local hangout for anyone under the mortgage owning, and family raising age. Jongin was one of those, a few years out of high school, working shift work at the local corner store, while passing the time until he figures out just what he wants to do with his life.

Jongin himself was more likely to be found hidden in the small blessed sanctuary of his room, tucked in the corner of his family’s two story townhouse. More often than not he’d be lounged with the quiet company of his best friend Kyungsoo, on the rooftop just outside his bedroom window, music drifting around them, as they kill time basking under the sky. Unless winter was biting at their skin, then it was to the unfinished basement at Kyungsoo’s.

Sometimes though, if the sun was hot and the family car free, Kyungsoo would drag him down to the skatepark. There Jongin would lounge in the sun on the silver hood of the car, often times with Kyungsoo next to him, watching Chanyeol and Sehun at a distance. Their antics were always the most entertaining with Kyungsoo present, more escalated than when Jongin wandered down to the park on his own. The fact that his best friend remains blissfully unaware of the competitive nature he triggers in their friends making the whole situation that much more entertaining.

Jongin had always known about Minho and his friends. He remembers too well the stir of excitement that came with Taemin moving to town way back in the seventh grade. Someone new to their school in a town where everyone had been born and raised was an abnormality that contained a certain novelty for them. The cut off dates for enrollment went by birth month, putting Taemin into the year ahead of Jongin despite them being the same age. Taemin had fallen near effortlessly in with the older crowd, which was hardly a surprise with how friendly Minho was and had always been known to be.

That had been a stack of years ago, school had long since ended, their lives moving on. Most of the students had moved away, Jongin had too, but he was one of the few who’d wound up back in their too small town. Taemin it seemed, in the two year stint Jongin had spent in the city, had settled into themself. They seemed more open and comfortable in their skin, wearing a confidence that had caught and held Jongin’s attention. That first week back in town Chanyeol, who seemed to know everyone, had used Jongin moving home as an excuse to throw a house party, true to his often repeated mantra that any excuse for a party was a good one.

That had been the same night that Sehun had managed to fall off of Chanyeol’s back deck; how it had happened was still hotly debated between their friends. It had been Taemin who had helped Jongin get a very drunk Sehun to the car so Jongin could take him to the ER. Somewhere between the kitchen that Jongin had found Sehun socializing in, and the car door they near dragged the lanky man to, Taemin had struck him. There was something almost ethereal about the way Taemin’s long blond hair near shone around their head, fuzzed from the humidity of the night, and brushing rounded cheeks. The sound of their laugh was contagious, crinkling Taemin’s face as they entertained, and sassed Jongin’s very drunk friend. The image of Taemin standing in the wet grass of Chanyeol’s front lawn, leaned against the side of Kyungsoo’s car, the slightly too large, well worn, white long sleeve shirt hanging off of their frame, and the torn fabric of their faded blue jeans, exposing as much skin as they concealed, was imprinted in Jongin’s mind. A memory he’d frequent maybe a bit too often there after. It didn’t take long for Jongin to realize that Taemin was unlike anyone he’d met before, different in all the right ways.

He was hyper aware of Taemin’s presence after that. Every time Taemin would pop into his corner store it was like Jongin had turned into a shy sixteen year old all over again. Jongin could count on one hand the amount of times they’d exchanged words since the party, all polite small talk, but if Kyungsoo had anything to say about it Taemin would ‘-have to be blind and amnesic’ not to notice the ‘-blatant heart eyes you throw their way every time they so much as breathe-’. Still, despite Chanyeol’s offer to intervene (and Jongin’s desperate insistence that he not), Jongin had no idea what to do with the crush he’d grown. Honestly the last thing he needed was likely Chanyeol’s-  
  
Jongin’s thought tapers off mid-train, brought back to the present with a crash as Taemin enters the store, following close behind their friend with the cat eyes and sharp tongue. Taemin’s laugh is bright at something their friend had said, the worn turquoise roller skates that so often were strapped to their feet coming to a slow rolling stop. Jongin was pretty sure there were rules against such a thing inside the store but he, for whatever reason (bias aside certainly), couldn’t be bothered to enforce anything of the sort when Taemin came round. Their hair is the same white blond it had been that time at the party, looking so soft in how it falls around their face, stray strands escaping the two small pigtails at the back of their head. There’s a moment where time seems to pause, their eyes catching as Jongin hands the customer in front of him their change, Taemin lingering just a moment in front of the counter. The most playful of smiles makes their eyes dance, white teeth pressing into the corner of plush lips painted a bubble gum pink. It’s brief though, eye contact breaking, taking the full of Jongin’s attention with them the moment they turn to glide down one of the aisles.   
  
The customer still standing at the counter startles him, pulling an embarrassed apology, and darkened flush of cheeks from Jongin at being caught with his attention clearly elsewhere. Even now as he’s ringing the guy in, scanning his lotto tickets, and reading off the total, Jongin’s eyes keep wandering to the blond where they were lingering by the back cooler. His attention kept on the shift of Taemin’s shoulder blades under the sea foam green and white striped racerback tank top that hugged snug to their frame, the shift of slim hips as Taemin slides open the drink cooler door, the squeeze of nearly too short, faded blue, cut off jean shorts stretched over their small pert ass, and the expanse of smooth slender legs wrapped in top striped white, thigh high stockings. Jongin’s fingers fumble on the change he hands the customer as Taemin dips forwards, leaning down to grab one of the drinks, their shorts pulling taught, the fabric inching just a bit higher, giving the most teasing peak of white lace panties and fair skin. The sound of coins bouncing off the counter brings Jongin back from the slow motion play his reality had suddenly taken, embarrassed as he scrambles to pick it up, his face the picture of flustered as he rushes to give the customer their change.   
  
The only thing that saves him from sinking right through the floor at the odd look the customer gives him, is that they promptly take their leave, sparing Jongin another second of attempting to make like a working, functioning twenty one year old. There’s this cheeky little smile playing at Taemin’s plush lips when they all too casually roll themselves up to Jongin’s counter, placing the glass bottle of soda on the plexiglass top as they come to a stop. Jongin, had he a shred of sanity left, should maybe be a bit embarrassed with the way he just stops and stares.

The curve of Taemin’s face, the dip of their nose and the near perfect cut of their lips so close it seems to short circuit Jongin’s brain. Long eyelashes dust over sun kissed cheeks, their eyes lined with a near white shade of blue eyeliner, adding to the colours adorning Taemin, and Jongin has never wanted to drown in a box of crayons near as much as when they’re painted all over Taemin. He doesn’t even have time to contemplate the sheer impossibility of drowning in crayons because those small hands are placing fingertips to the glass neck of the bottle, the movement drawing Jongin’s eyes downwards. Taemin slides their fingers over the length of the bottle, torturously leaving tracks in the condensation, making Jongin swallow hard. Only the break of Taemin’s voice through his thoughts breaks Jongin of his enthralled daze.  
  
“Can I buy this??”   
  
Oh. Right. Working.   
  
Jongin’s face is once again coloured with the dust of embarrassment as he reaches for the bottle Taemin had pushed forwards, scanning the soda in with a loud ‘beep’ from the register. Taemin leans forwards, their forearms crossing, resting on the worn plexiglass as they watch Jongin with glittering interest.   
  
“Uh..two, two twenty five.”

It’s all Jongin can do to look them in the eye, the sweet scent wafting off of Taemin filling Jongin’s senses, coming from the slow chew of gum in their mouth, a realization that pulls Jongin’s attention to their lips once more. Something that does the rising heat of his body no favours, the peek of blue gum around a pink tongue, just past perfectly thick cupid bowed lips holding rapt his attention.

The dark of Jongin’s cheeks only deepens further as Taemin hands him cash, realizing starkly that he’d been staring as he punches the amount into the register. Their hands brush as Jongin hands them their change, not even the crack of Taemin’s gum in their mouth enough to help Jongin as he seems to short circuit once more, fingers lingering on the heat of Taemin’s palm. Then their hand is gone, shoving change into those sinfully short shorts, leaving Jongin to quickly snatch back his own. Taemin lingers though, chewing at the swell of their lip and wreaking havoc on Jongin’s nerves. It takes whats likely only seconds but feels like an eternity before they speak, eyes catching Jongin’s as he lifts them at the sound.

“You should come b-”

“YAH Taemin!”

Both of their heads snap to the door of the store, Taemin’s same friend from before with the bleached blond hair, and polka dotted vest suddenly in the doorway, hanging off the frame.

“Would you hurry your ass up. Just tell him you want the d and letS GOOO.”

The last word trails off as he swings himself back outside. It’s Taemin’s turn to flush red this time, matching the deep colour of embarrassment Jongin himself was wearing.  
  
“I- ok yeah. Thanks Kibum.”

Their laugh is a nervous one but it makes Jongin’s chest do little cartwheels nonetheless, something that's not helping his state of being at all.

“You should come by the park later, is what I was trying to say.”  
  
“I- What?”

Which is likely the wrong response Jongin realizes as soon as the words tumble their way out of his mouth. Taemin’s face only flushes darker and Jongin stumbles quickly over his words, trying to recover.

“I- yes, to the park. I’m not off till later but yeah, if you’re around still, yeah definitely.”

The way Taemin’s face lights up makes the over eager embarrassment that Jongin has certainly made of himself worth it.

There’s a loud holler of Taemin’s name from the parking lot before either of them gets another word in, widening Taemin’s eyes in the most endearing of ways. With a short wave and a sunshine smile they’re scurrying away, rollerblades near slipping on the tile floor in their haste, leaving Jongin to contemplate the absolute trainwreck he is in solitude.

It takes all of three minutes before panic sets in, realizing just what had happened, sending Jongin scrambling for his phone hoping against all hope that Kyungsoo had some idea what to do. Guidance was definitely needed, otherwise, he was doomed.


End file.
